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Midge (525 KP) rated Whatever It Takes in Books
Jan 22, 2019
Beautifully compelling (1 more)
Strong and confident main character
Captivating and Engaging
"Whatever It Takes" is a beautifully compelling story that has a bit of everything. From drama, romance and conflict, to joy and sorrow, there is really something for everyone.
It is a contemporary fiction and romance novel set in Highland Springs, West Virginia, a wonderfully scenic, American small town with a close-knit community.
What’s really likeable about it straight-away are the opening chapters that draw you straight into the main character, Darla Jean Heartwood. She is a strong, confident, very successful businesswoman, however, she is also emotional and impulsive. You feel instantly on her side, particularly in her initial dealings with Jason Byrne the handsome fellow who has been following her. You can immediately sense there is something going on, and one of the highlights of the book is following how that relationship develops. The handsome, charismatic, distinguished, silver fox Jason is, at first, hard to work out but you gradually get to know him as the story unfolds and see that he has many surprising qualities.
Darla has kept a family secret for eighteen years until she receives an unwanted telephone call. Family relationships are put to the test when she decides to correct some of her past decisions, for her daughter, Meghan, the man she loves, and also herself. She will let nothing stand in her way to expose the high-profile Governor, a man who took away her innocence and brought great angst to her life for years.
Both the plot and the character development are excellent, and the story-line is very believable. The story is also both captivating and engaging. It held my interest from start to finish, and I found myself rooting for Darla as she showed extremes of courage in confronting her challenges.
The writing style is very easy to read and it’s an interesting novel particularly for the interplay of the different characters - a wacky and psychic aunty, a loud and pushy cousin and a large group of girlfriends. Plenty of romantic ups and downs along the way and plenty of surprises. I loved it!
I highly recommend this book and suggest wholeheartedly that you add it to your booklist.
Thank you to Hidden Gems for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
It is a contemporary fiction and romance novel set in Highland Springs, West Virginia, a wonderfully scenic, American small town with a close-knit community.
What’s really likeable about it straight-away are the opening chapters that draw you straight into the main character, Darla Jean Heartwood. She is a strong, confident, very successful businesswoman, however, she is also emotional and impulsive. You feel instantly on her side, particularly in her initial dealings with Jason Byrne the handsome fellow who has been following her. You can immediately sense there is something going on, and one of the highlights of the book is following how that relationship develops. The handsome, charismatic, distinguished, silver fox Jason is, at first, hard to work out but you gradually get to know him as the story unfolds and see that he has many surprising qualities.
Darla has kept a family secret for eighteen years until she receives an unwanted telephone call. Family relationships are put to the test when she decides to correct some of her past decisions, for her daughter, Meghan, the man she loves, and also herself. She will let nothing stand in her way to expose the high-profile Governor, a man who took away her innocence and brought great angst to her life for years.
Both the plot and the character development are excellent, and the story-line is very believable. The story is also both captivating and engaging. It held my interest from start to finish, and I found myself rooting for Darla as she showed extremes of courage in confronting her challenges.
The writing style is very easy to read and it’s an interesting novel particularly for the interplay of the different characters - a wacky and psychic aunty, a loud and pushy cousin and a large group of girlfriends. Plenty of romantic ups and downs along the way and plenty of surprises. I loved it!
I highly recommend this book and suggest wholeheartedly that you add it to your booklist.
Thank you to Hidden Gems for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Okja (2017) in Movies
Nov 17, 2019
1st half vs. 2nd half
Director Bong Joon Ho has a phenomenal track record of producing engaging, interesting, rich, vibrant and complex stories. From Snowpiercer to The Host to current critic favorite, Parasite his unique storytelling has proven he can be imaginative and still bring an audience through an entertaining, creative story. This time, as others have said in their reviews, it seems like a tale of two halves remarkably different in tone, scale and narrative.
A large corporation sells itself as leading the world in global food production as it creates 26 "Super Pigs" that it disperses throughout the world and allows them to grow for 10 years adopted by farmers. During that time, one of them, Okja, is seen alongside their adopted family in South Korea. A young girl and her grandfather have made Okja part of their family and love their companion immensely Eventually the corporation, along with one of their weird spokespeople goons arrive and say they are going to bring Okja to New York.
The girl, Mija, doesn't want this to happen and for her to lose her friend and life-mate, Okja, so she decides to pursue the creature and rescue it from whatever plans are happening and bring back to their mountainous farm.
Unfortunately, the differences in tone really handicap the film almost immediately. I really thought this appeared to be a family film like Babe or Homeward Bound, but then turned into some kind of exposition to inhibit cruelty to animals? Not sure. There was profanity throughout which of course doesn't bother me but would be off putting if you wanted to show this movie in schools or for small children. The innocence is lost when thugs arrive and try and kidnap Okja, or this animal advocacy group also arrives to attempt their own rescue to prevent anything against their will of happening to the beast.
It doesn't happen too often for me, but I was really confused as to what the movie was trying to say. I am a meat eater myself and am not sorry for it. I certainly believe people should be who they are and would not push my beliefs on anyone else. Is that what the movie intends? Does it want to just be an entertaining adventure?
My confusion prevented me from enjoying the movie as much as I wanted to, but was still entertained by what I saw.
A large corporation sells itself as leading the world in global food production as it creates 26 "Super Pigs" that it disperses throughout the world and allows them to grow for 10 years adopted by farmers. During that time, one of them, Okja, is seen alongside their adopted family in South Korea. A young girl and her grandfather have made Okja part of their family and love their companion immensely Eventually the corporation, along with one of their weird spokespeople goons arrive and say they are going to bring Okja to New York.
The girl, Mija, doesn't want this to happen and for her to lose her friend and life-mate, Okja, so she decides to pursue the creature and rescue it from whatever plans are happening and bring back to their mountainous farm.
Unfortunately, the differences in tone really handicap the film almost immediately. I really thought this appeared to be a family film like Babe or Homeward Bound, but then turned into some kind of exposition to inhibit cruelty to animals? Not sure. There was profanity throughout which of course doesn't bother me but would be off putting if you wanted to show this movie in schools or for small children. The innocence is lost when thugs arrive and try and kidnap Okja, or this animal advocacy group also arrives to attempt their own rescue to prevent anything against their will of happening to the beast.
It doesn't happen too often for me, but I was really confused as to what the movie was trying to say. I am a meat eater myself and am not sorry for it. I certainly believe people should be who they are and would not push my beliefs on anyone else. Is that what the movie intends? Does it want to just be an entertaining adventure?
My confusion prevented me from enjoying the movie as much as I wanted to, but was still entertained by what I saw.
EmersonRose (320 KP) rated Knight of The Dead II: Cavalry in Books
Nov 20, 2019
Knight of the Dead 2: Cavalry is author Ron Smorynski’s second book in this action-packed, zombie apocalypse book with a medieval twist. In the second book, Ronan and his family have found themselves a place to build up as their fortress and are ready to start bringing others into their midst. But as their little community grows, they find themselves faced with inner conflict as much as dealing with the danger the world has become. This conflict mainly arises from the fact that when it was just his family, Ronan shared the same beliefs as everyone else, they understood each other’s skills, and trusted each other completely, which is not the case with traumatized strangers. The book is a quick and easy read that is full of action-packed zombie fights and chases, interesting ways of surviving in an apocalyptic world, and sweet family moments. I would say that this book is best suited for those that love zombie, apocalypse, and Christian literature.
I really appreciated the small moments throughout the book that hold sweet moments of family. In a dark world, it is nice to see those moments of trying to keep a little innocence alive for young children, sharing love, the comradery of close friends, and the earnest desire to protect one another. What this book, and the series as a whole, are very strong in is the action. This does not just mean the actual fights but the interesting chases, the intense moments of sneaking through the city, searching for materials needed to survive, and trying to save others. I thought that the addition of new characters was great and through their eyes allowed us to learn even more about the central family. Especially when it came to dealing with conflict and trusting those around them. In this book, the family’s connection to God is strengthened and becomes a key aspect of their mental journeys and how they deal with the horror that surrounds them.
Smorynski has done an excellent job of creating an atmosphere in the series that feels possible. For both the physical shape of the world and the mental space of the characters, you can see this being a future for humanity despite the sci-fi premise. I found the book to be a fun read and look forward to reading the next installment in the series.
I really appreciated the small moments throughout the book that hold sweet moments of family. In a dark world, it is nice to see those moments of trying to keep a little innocence alive for young children, sharing love, the comradery of close friends, and the earnest desire to protect one another. What this book, and the series as a whole, are very strong in is the action. This does not just mean the actual fights but the interesting chases, the intense moments of sneaking through the city, searching for materials needed to survive, and trying to save others. I thought that the addition of new characters was great and through their eyes allowed us to learn even more about the central family. Especially when it came to dealing with conflict and trusting those around them. In this book, the family’s connection to God is strengthened and becomes a key aspect of their mental journeys and how they deal with the horror that surrounds them.
Smorynski has done an excellent job of creating an atmosphere in the series that feels possible. For both the physical shape of the world and the mental space of the characters, you can see this being a future for humanity despite the sci-fi premise. I found the book to be a fun read and look forward to reading the next installment in the series.
Ceremonies of Bravery: Oscar Wilde, Carlos Blacker, and the Dreyfus Affair
Book
Ceremonies of Bravery is a study of the friendship between the prolific writer Oscar Wilde and...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated An Engineered Injustice (Philadelphia Legal, #2) in Books
Sep 24, 2020
More reviews at https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com
Wow, it felt like watching one of those court TV series, which sucks you in, and you want to binge watch all the seasons at once. 😀
The protagonist in this novel was Vaughn, most probably not a very likable person by the society, because he is a defense lawyer. I really liked him in this book though, he sounded like a hero to me 😀 There were a wide variety of characters to choose from, and all of them were quite diverse and very intriguing personalities. Even though there were so many characters, I didn’t get lost in who was who, the author described them all pretty well, I think. I really enjoyed, that author used multiple perspectives to tell the story, it allowed me, as a reader, to understand the characters way better.
I really like trains and somehow this story felt close to my heart. I loved the narrative of this book, and I really enjoyed all the twists and turns, which author had to offer. The villains were given away throughout the book, and there was no surprise effect there, but the whole finding out process and proving Eddy’s innocence was what kept me glued to this book. It was very amusing to read a book, where author’s confidence and experience just shines through. There is plenty of legal terms in this novel, but for me it was a plus, just showed that author knows what he was talking about.
I personally think that Mr. Myers is a very gifted writer, and I loved his writing style in this book, it seems difficult, but for me, it was pretty understandable and easy to read. I really enjoyed the structure of the chapters, it didn’t drag to me, wasn’t too long and was divided into smaller parts. I really liked the setting of this book as well, it has this American spirit about it, and I really loved that. The ending of this novel rounded the whole story very nicely and I loved the outcome. So to conclude, if you like to watch court dramas, do give this book a try, it has very amusing and interesting characters and quite twisty and unexpected narrative. I do hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. 😀
Wow, it felt like watching one of those court TV series, which sucks you in, and you want to binge watch all the seasons at once. 😀
The protagonist in this novel was Vaughn, most probably not a very likable person by the society, because he is a defense lawyer. I really liked him in this book though, he sounded like a hero to me 😀 There were a wide variety of characters to choose from, and all of them were quite diverse and very intriguing personalities. Even though there were so many characters, I didn’t get lost in who was who, the author described them all pretty well, I think. I really enjoyed, that author used multiple perspectives to tell the story, it allowed me, as a reader, to understand the characters way better.
I really like trains and somehow this story felt close to my heart. I loved the narrative of this book, and I really enjoyed all the twists and turns, which author had to offer. The villains were given away throughout the book, and there was no surprise effect there, but the whole finding out process and proving Eddy’s innocence was what kept me glued to this book. It was very amusing to read a book, where author’s confidence and experience just shines through. There is plenty of legal terms in this novel, but for me it was a plus, just showed that author knows what he was talking about.
I personally think that Mr. Myers is a very gifted writer, and I loved his writing style in this book, it seems difficult, but for me, it was pretty understandable and easy to read. I really enjoyed the structure of the chapters, it didn’t drag to me, wasn’t too long and was divided into smaller parts. I really liked the setting of this book as well, it has this American spirit about it, and I really loved that. The ending of this novel rounded the whole story very nicely and I loved the outcome. So to conclude, if you like to watch court dramas, do give this book a try, it has very amusing and interesting characters and quite twisty and unexpected narrative. I do hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. 😀
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Gretel & Hansel (2020) in Movies
Sep 10, 2020
Something Wicked
Gretel and hansel is everything I hoped it would be & more, a devilsh dive into witchcraft & an utterly nightmarish visual feast for both the eyes & senses. Gretel & Hansel is a new take on the well known Grimm fairytale & for a simple comparison it's much like one of my favourite horror films of all time 2015's The witch. Now I'm guessing that's put some people off already but those who are still with me are in for a delightful treat. Think Suspira if it were boiled in a pot with the witch, hagazussa & it comes at night & you have painted a picture of what to expect here. Extremely slow pacing, constantly lingering ominous dread & a soundtrack that's likely to cause the hairs on your neck to stand up every time it drones. To say this film is absolutely gorgeous is an insult, every single frame is awash with beautifully striking & highly interesting to explore imagery & colour. It's so visually striking & breathtaking I could happily of sat & watched it with no sound & still be as entranced by its wicked ways. However the way these visuals mash with the synth & droning soundtrack honestly kept me glued to the screen seemingly bewitched & fixated in a trance like state. As you can tell these types of films are my passion when it comes to horror, I much prefer the slow lingering constant sense of dread & creepy imagery that lead up to a shocking pay off while also intertwining the kind of depth & philosophy you have to unravel yourself instead of being spoon fed the plot by the characters themselves. This film is no different & as we delve deep into such themes as female empowerment, innocence, sacrifice, responsibility, naivety, addiction & greed as a viewer the web spun for you begins to unravel about what the film is truly trying to say at its core. Sophia Lillis who you may know from IT does wonders here as Gretel & it's her character, acting & attachment that really hooks you & makes every scene with her in feel calming amongst all the oddities going on. I honestly can not praise this film enough & say if your into art house cinema do not hesitate at grabbing this on glorious 4k. A stunning, breathless wonder of a movie to that will leave you feeling body unnerved & your mind shaken.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Amélie (2001) in Movies
Sep 30, 2019
Beautiful Movie With a Beautiful Ending
You watch a film like Amelie and you leave thinking, “Some directors just have it figured out more than others.” This movie is pure genius from start to finish, one of my all-time faves for a number of reasons. In this story, Amelie seeks to change the world and make it a better place by helping the people around her.
Acting: 10
While I don’t know many of these actors since this a French film, I was impressed by the multitude of brilliant performances. Audrey Tautou shines as main character Amelie, carrying with her a sincere innocence that is hard not to gravitate towards. From the smaller roles, like Amelie’s parents, to the more pivotal roles, every actor/actress impressed me to no end.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
The movie revolves around Amelie’s sensational character. You are captivated by her from her very first moments on screen as a young child. She leads an interesting life that revolves around a number of interesting people. I know I’m being vague, but this is one of those films that’s best experienced when you know very little about it.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 10
A classic film is one that breaks the mold giving you something that you won’t find anywhere else. That is very much the case in Amelie as it carries a style all its own. The film is interwoven with grainy flashbacks that are uniquely done in unforgettable fashion. It is hard not to be captivated by these scenes as they unfold. I also appreciate how it dives into the challenges that shy introverts face on a daily basis.
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Great story with enough diversions to keep you entertained throughout. It is such a simple idea, but is pulled off with complex characters and stories-within-stories. It’s almost disappointing when it ends.
Resolution: 10
Concludes just as it should. It gives you the ending that you hope for without overstaying its welcome. A nice bow on a beautiful present.
Overall: 100
We watch movies for an escape, to be captivated by something better than our own mundane lives. Amelie is magical from beginning to end and the greatest movie I never knew existed until recently. To put it simply, it is damn-near perfect.
Acting: 10
While I don’t know many of these actors since this a French film, I was impressed by the multitude of brilliant performances. Audrey Tautou shines as main character Amelie, carrying with her a sincere innocence that is hard not to gravitate towards. From the smaller roles, like Amelie’s parents, to the more pivotal roles, every actor/actress impressed me to no end.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
The movie revolves around Amelie’s sensational character. You are captivated by her from her very first moments on screen as a young child. She leads an interesting life that revolves around a number of interesting people. I know I’m being vague, but this is one of those films that’s best experienced when you know very little about it.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 10
A classic film is one that breaks the mold giving you something that you won’t find anywhere else. That is very much the case in Amelie as it carries a style all its own. The film is interwoven with grainy flashbacks that are uniquely done in unforgettable fashion. It is hard not to be captivated by these scenes as they unfold. I also appreciate how it dives into the challenges that shy introverts face on a daily basis.
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Great story with enough diversions to keep you entertained throughout. It is such a simple idea, but is pulled off with complex characters and stories-within-stories. It’s almost disappointing when it ends.
Resolution: 10
Concludes just as it should. It gives you the ending that you hope for without overstaying its welcome. A nice bow on a beautiful present.
Overall: 100
We watch movies for an escape, to be captivated by something better than our own mundane lives. Amelie is magical from beginning to end and the greatest movie I never knew existed until recently. To put it simply, it is damn-near perfect.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Rise of the Guardians (2012) in Movies
Oct 14, 2019
Characters – Jack Frost is the spiritual figure that nobody believes in, he keeps children happy everyday, but no one will remember him for his work, now he gets given a chance to become a guardian giving him the chance to be the hero the world needs. North is the leader of the guardians the first selected to help to replace Pitch giving the children of the world hope, even if he does feel like colossus from Deadpool. Pitch was once the one that struck fear into children, he wants his crown back and will look to take the belief out of any children in the world. Tooth, Bunny and Sandy make up the rest of the guardians that have mixed feelings towards Jack being chosen as their newest member. Using the iconic fantasy characters does make us understand what they thieve for, but is often used for a pun throughout the film.
Story – The story here follows a reckless potential new guardian that must prove his place in the guardians with the much more experienced and famous icons of fantasy. While this does follow a generic idea, it is fun throughout and does play into the idea of childhood innocence keeping legends alive. The idea of Jack Frost needing to find his place in the battle is the strongest part of the film and is easily the one part of the film you want to see most of.
Adventure/Fantasy – The adventure that Jack Frost must go on brings him to the next moment of his stage of immortality, being on a level with a Santa or Tooth Fairy, this is him finding himself in this world that is full of fantasy icons that children will always be believing in.
Settings – The film takes us to different lands which would be the ones you would imagine finding the fantasy icons, the north pole being the most iconic.
Animation – The animation standard is top notch just like we are expecting from a major study involvement in a film.
Scene of the Movie – The final battle.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – A lot of the jokes are aimed at how people would imagine talking to each of the guardians.
Final Thoughts – This is a fantasy family animation that can be enjoyed by all, it doesn’t over test the audience and comes off fun throughout.
Overall: Fun family animation that will give you a smile.
Story – The story here follows a reckless potential new guardian that must prove his place in the guardians with the much more experienced and famous icons of fantasy. While this does follow a generic idea, it is fun throughout and does play into the idea of childhood innocence keeping legends alive. The idea of Jack Frost needing to find his place in the battle is the strongest part of the film and is easily the one part of the film you want to see most of.
Adventure/Fantasy – The adventure that Jack Frost must go on brings him to the next moment of his stage of immortality, being on a level with a Santa or Tooth Fairy, this is him finding himself in this world that is full of fantasy icons that children will always be believing in.
Settings – The film takes us to different lands which would be the ones you would imagine finding the fantasy icons, the north pole being the most iconic.
Animation – The animation standard is top notch just like we are expecting from a major study involvement in a film.
Scene of the Movie – The final battle.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – A lot of the jokes are aimed at how people would imagine talking to each of the guardians.
Final Thoughts – This is a fantasy family animation that can be enjoyed by all, it doesn’t over test the audience and comes off fun throughout.
Overall: Fun family animation that will give you a smile.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies
May 26, 2020 (Updated Jun 18, 2020)
Alita: Battle Angel is great. Is there a good helping of sci-fi dumbfuckery to be found? Of course. But the positives far outweigh any negatives in this instance.
Based on a Manga series and subsequent Anime from the early nineties, Alita brings the signature Japanese comic style to life in style, as a whole heap of (mostly) decent digital effects collides with real-life.
The world of A:BA is really well realised, with the film taking place in the 26th Century, a future that sees man and cyborg live side by side. The plot takes place in The Iron City on the ground, eclipsed by the floating city of Zalem above. It's a striking aesthetic that reminded me of something from a Final Fantasy game. The main narrative follows Dr. Ido (Christoph Waltz) who finds the remains of a deactivated cyborg in a trash heap. He gives the cyborg a new body and a new life, and gives her the name Alita. She has no memory of who she was before, but as she begins to explore the world, her memories slowly return. Alita (Rosa Salazar) is a stupidly likable protagonist. She's a fiery, lethal weapon who has a child like innocence. The motion capture combined with Salazar's performance work really well. In fact, the whole cast is great. Christoph Waltz, Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earl-Hailey - it's a stellar line up. The only cast member I couldn't get on with was Hugo (Keean Johnson) who mainly serves as Alita's love interest. I didn't particularly like his character and as a result didn't fully buy their romance side plot.
The main issue I had was the pacing. The plot is trying to pack so much into 2 hours, that it moved forward at breakneck speed at times. Some plot points become a bit lost in the whole thing, and a few of the characters seemed inconsequential as a result.
It does go a bit CGI overload at times but that's to be expected by the very nature of what A:BA is. The effects on some of the other cyborg characters are ropey as well, but honestly, these are small gripes against a film that I found myself really enjoying.
I sincerely hope a sequel gets green lit as I for one want more of this world to be explored.
Based on a Manga series and subsequent Anime from the early nineties, Alita brings the signature Japanese comic style to life in style, as a whole heap of (mostly) decent digital effects collides with real-life.
The world of A:BA is really well realised, with the film taking place in the 26th Century, a future that sees man and cyborg live side by side. The plot takes place in The Iron City on the ground, eclipsed by the floating city of Zalem above. It's a striking aesthetic that reminded me of something from a Final Fantasy game. The main narrative follows Dr. Ido (Christoph Waltz) who finds the remains of a deactivated cyborg in a trash heap. He gives the cyborg a new body and a new life, and gives her the name Alita. She has no memory of who she was before, but as she begins to explore the world, her memories slowly return. Alita (Rosa Salazar) is a stupidly likable protagonist. She's a fiery, lethal weapon who has a child like innocence. The motion capture combined with Salazar's performance work really well. In fact, the whole cast is great. Christoph Waltz, Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earl-Hailey - it's a stellar line up. The only cast member I couldn't get on with was Hugo (Keean Johnson) who mainly serves as Alita's love interest. I didn't particularly like his character and as a result didn't fully buy their romance side plot.
The main issue I had was the pacing. The plot is trying to pack so much into 2 hours, that it moved forward at breakneck speed at times. Some plot points become a bit lost in the whole thing, and a few of the characters seemed inconsequential as a result.
It does go a bit CGI overload at times but that's to be expected by the very nature of what A:BA is. The effects on some of the other cyborg characters are ropey as well, but honestly, these are small gripes against a film that I found myself really enjoying.
I sincerely hope a sequel gets green lit as I for one want more of this world to be explored.
ClareR (5846 KP) rated Aftermath: Life in the Fallout of the Third Reich, 1945-1955 in Books
Feb 1, 2022
This is such an informative, interesting book about a period in German history that I know little about: 1945-1955. It shows that German cities were pretty much decimated by the end of the war, that ex-Nazi party members were forced to clean up the rubble and that most importantly, many Germans thought that they were hard done by, by the end of the war - their country in ruins, no industry and no food. But what’s most startling, is how quickly the German recovery was. Jähner states that this was in large part due to the return of the Germans who had been living in occupied countries.
The black market was also a huge earner for many German citizens: one teenager is described as having thousands of Marks worth of cigarettes in his house. Money was there to be made for the improvising, bold, German!
What probably resonated with me most, was the lot of the German woman. They had been expected to be the perfect German Female during National Socialism, then experienced a kind of social and sexual liberation after the end of the war. However, when their husbands and men returned from captivity (or just made their ways home), they found themselves being expected to revert to the stereotypical role of the housewife. But they wanted more. They wanted to continue in careers, they wanted equality, and they didn’t necessarily want to deal with broken, defeated husbands (as cruel as this may seem).
What really surprised me, was how was how former Nazi party members still worked in positions of influence, both politically and in industry - and this was the case in both East and West Germany. Even though the Allies made a point of ‘educating’ German citizens about the holocaust, National Socialists seemed to largely escape punishment and carried on with their lives. Their children may have had their doubts as to their parents innocence, and the real movement to ‘out’ the national guilt didn’t really get going until the 1960’s, but there was dissent in the 1950’s already.
I could go on. This is such an interesting book, and written so accessibly. It didn’t read at all like a dry history book, and the photos and posters from the time are well chosen and really add to the book as a whole. This isn’t just a history book for history buffs.
The black market was also a huge earner for many German citizens: one teenager is described as having thousands of Marks worth of cigarettes in his house. Money was there to be made for the improvising, bold, German!
What probably resonated with me most, was the lot of the German woman. They had been expected to be the perfect German Female during National Socialism, then experienced a kind of social and sexual liberation after the end of the war. However, when their husbands and men returned from captivity (or just made their ways home), they found themselves being expected to revert to the stereotypical role of the housewife. But they wanted more. They wanted to continue in careers, they wanted equality, and they didn’t necessarily want to deal with broken, defeated husbands (as cruel as this may seem).
What really surprised me, was how was how former Nazi party members still worked in positions of influence, both politically and in industry - and this was the case in both East and West Germany. Even though the Allies made a point of ‘educating’ German citizens about the holocaust, National Socialists seemed to largely escape punishment and carried on with their lives. Their children may have had their doubts as to their parents innocence, and the real movement to ‘out’ the national guilt didn’t really get going until the 1960’s, but there was dissent in the 1950’s already.
I could go on. This is such an interesting book, and written so accessibly. It didn’t read at all like a dry history book, and the photos and posters from the time are well chosen and really add to the book as a whole. This isn’t just a history book for history buffs.